Over one in ten mobile subscribers consistently exceed their data every month!

Brits are unaware of how much data they use on their mobile phones with over one in ten hitting the monthly limit in succession.

This is according to research conducted by comparison website Broadband Genie, surveying 1,097 mobile users across the UK between March 27 – April 9.

It found 31 per cent of mobile users hit their monthly limit once every three months, with 14 per cent hitting the data cap every month.

Mobile data caps are a major cause for concern with 54 per cent stating they feel some sort of discomfort when approaching the limit, including frustration (35 per cent), anxiety (18 per cent) and panic (7 per cent).

Some operators don’t enforce a block on mobile data when depletion is evident. 22 per cent of those surveyed said they would take no action if they were hitting the limit, 58 per cent said they would switch it off to avoid hitting the cap and incurring charges.

Vodafone automatically charges £6.50 per 250MB exceeded. A spokesperson from Vodafone said: “We want our customers to enjoy an uninterrupted data experience.  We have a number of ways for customers to monitor their usage and we send customers a number of texts as they get closer to the end of their data allowance as well as when they reach their limit (with options to get even more data).  Customers who want more control can easily add the data cap in the MyVodafone app.”

Bolt-ons is an option for users when exceeding data, 17 per cent said they would activate a bolt on if need be. O2 for example offers a 100MB bolt on for £3, equivalent to downloading 20 tracks on Spotify.

Broadband Genie head of strategy Rob Hilborn said: “It’s so easy to blitz even large data packages these days, what with auto-play videos, ads, streaming services and other data-heavy activities.

“In most cases, users can quite easily track this information by accessing their account online or downloading their mobile network’s smartphone app.

“For those regularly hitting a data limit, it’s worth investigating what activities are causing this as you may be able to take action to reduce your usage. If this is proving difficult, consider a contract upgrade as it will often be better value than paying for add-ons or penalty charges.”

See more here – https://www.broadbandgenie.co.uk/blog/20170411-mobile-data-survey-limits-cost